Self-priming pumping apparatus



Jan. 5, 1932. c S XE ET AL 1,840,257

' SELF PRIMING PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet lWilli; 35 25' a 7473 I 70 Q f Jan. 5, 1932. A. c. SAXE ET AL 1,840,257

SELF PRIMING PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ARTHUR C. BAKE, OFCOLUMBUS, AND HOMER A. SMITH, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO; SAID SMITH ASSIGNOR TOTHE BARNES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OFOHIO, AND SAID SAXE ASSIGNOR TO THE J'AEGEB MACHINE COMPANY, OICOLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SELF-PRINTING PUMPING APPARATUSApplication filed January 2, 1930. Serial N0.'418,089.

This invention relates to drainage pumps and aims to provide an improvedautomatic or self-priming liquid pumping apparatus of the centrifugaltype.

It will be best understood by description with reference to the attacheddrawings illustrating one practicable embodiment in a portabletrench-pump constructlon.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pump as placed in operation to draina ditch;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pump on enlarged scaleand omitting the power means therefor;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing a detail of specialmounting for thepump.

In the illustrative construction, a mounting base or bed is provided byparallel beams 5. of a chassis-frame shown supported on wheel-trucks forconvenience in transportation and maneuver to desired position.

An internal combustion engine fixed on this frame and represented by theconventional hood 6 serves to drive the pump through its crank orfly-wheel shaft 7 (see Fig. 2). As this engine per se forms no part ofthe invention and moreover may be of any generally familiar type, thereis no need to describe it further.

Aligned for direct driving connection with said engine shaft is anothershaft 8 extending into a casing or shell 9, and in this instanceproviding the rotor shaft of a centrifugal pump organization. Thislast-mentioned shaft is j ournaled in a block 10 shown coupling theengine and aforesaid pump casings rigidly together by bolting theretoand formed with an elongate bearing'll providing medial support for saidshaft. The latter has flexible coupling connection with the fly-wheel ofthe engine shaft, but may advantageously be connected instead through aclutch 12 rovided thereon primarily for a purpose wiiich will presentlyappear.

The, above-mentioned casing or shell (9) of the pump unit is cradledbetween the bars of the chassis-frame for support'independently of theengine and coupling block. Constituting in this instance a part of acentrifugal pump organization, it is formed with an axial inlet opening13 and a tangential outlet assage 14 common to pumps of that type. herotor shaft extending thereinto carries a rotor-member of special designproviding primary and secondary impellers 15 and 16 respectively, eachhaving its blades working against the back wall of the casing (see Fig.2). In this special desi said member comprises a casting wit coneshapedhub recessed to form the blades of the small or secondary impellerbehind the vanes radially extended therefrom to provide the lar e orprimary impeller. The resultant we -portions partitioning the twoimpellers apart have holes 17 therein to admit limited quantities ofpumped liquid between the blades of the secondary im eller.

The pump intake is eifecte by suction throu h a hose 18 connected at theinlet opening 0 said casing, while the aforesaid outlet passage thereofis controlled by a checkvalve 19 working in chamber 20. A hose 21connected with the latter serves to conduct the discharge away.

Above the pump casing, a chamber 22 communicates therewith by a pipe 23opening. behind the secondary impeller (see Fig. 2). This chamber isshown partitioned into two compartments by a plate 24 having an opening2 5 at its top for passage of air and an opemng 26 at its bottom forpassage of liquid from the one compartment to the other for equalizingpurposes.

In the larger of said chambers compartments, a float 27 rising andfalling with liquid above a' predetermined level actuates anairadmission valve 28, in this instance carried 90 on theiguidcd stem ofthe float and normallly closing upon a seat 29 provided in an exten ingcover 30 of the chamber. Some other form of valve might of course beequally suitable.

The aforesaid chamber communicates with the intake of a suction-pump 31by pipe 32 shown connecting with the extending cover thereof below theaforesaid air-admission valve. A valve 33 is advantageously provided'inthis pipe for regulating the force of suction therethrough. Saidsuction-pump is impelled by shaft 34 journaled on a support above thecoupling block and driven from the aforementioned clutch by a chain 35working over sprockets on the two. It may accordingly be thrown into andout of operation simply by engaging or disengaging the clutch. Being inthis instance of the eccentric type working in oil, this suction-pumpdischarges into a superposed chamber 36 having bafiie plates 37 thereinfor separating the oil from the air, which latter is expelled throughspout 38 while the oil flows back thereinto. Some other form ofsuction-pump might of course be used with equal efiiciency.

The disclosed or anization is extremely simple but highly eflectual inproviding an automatically operable or self-priming pumping apparatusfor draining ditches and excavations. Its operation is briefly describedas follows:

Assuming the apparatus is placed in position with the suction hose 18extending below the level of flood water in an excavation, the engine isstarted to drive the rotor-member and the clutch engaged to drive thesuction-pump. The check-valve 19 of the discharge line being closed,said suction-pump will quickly exhaust air from the two compartments ofthe chamber 22 and also from the centrifugal pump casing and its suctionline or hose. The suction thus created draws water up through the hoseinto the pum casing to prime it for operative disc arge through chamber20 and hose 21 in the usual wav.

Continuing action of the suction-pump draws part of the intake waterback through the holes 17 in the rotor-member and up the pipe 23 intosaid chamber 22, where the liquid level will equalize in its twocompartments. When the liquid level therein rises sufficiently to raisethe float 27, the latter will lift or open the valve 28 and admit air tothe chamber, thus breaking the suction action. The water within thisfloat chamber will then flow. back through the pipe 23 under the suckingforce of the pump discharge occasioned bytheprimary impeller, until theliquid in said chamber falls to a level permitting the float to'againclose the valve 28.

This cycle of operation is continually repeated to keep the pumpoperably primed so long as the lower end of the intake hose 18 remainsbelow the water level in the excavabelow the hose end, the pump actionwill of course cease and any water previously drawn into the chamber 22will then flow quickly back into the pump shell under the sucking forceexerted thereon by the secondary impeller throwing it radially againstthe shell walls, so as to hasten the closin of the valve 28 and set thepump apparatus or immediate re-priming and resumed operation when theintake hose is again submerged below the water level in the excavation.

A desirable cradle mounting for the pump casing 9 of the apparatus isillustrated in Fig. 4 representing a sectional end view of thechassis-frame. In this mounting the aforesaid casing is shown resting ina pair of wedge-shaped blocks 39 slidable in a crossblock 40 and movablecoincidently in opposite dircctions by a rod 41 having opposite threadengagement therewith in this instance through lugs 42. These slidingblocks may advantageously have dovetail engagement with the cross-block,while the adjustment thereof may be facilitated by a turn-wheel 43 onthe operating rod; If desired, two such rods may be used, one on eitherside of the blocks. By this arrangement centering the aforesaid casingbetween the beams of the frame, all strain upon the coupling block orrotor shaft is easily and quickly relieved simply by drawing thewedge-shaped blocks closer together to raise the casing and carry thefull load thereof.

Various modifications may obviously be made with different changes inform and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of thisinvention, and it will therefore be understood that the appended claimsare not intended to limit the same to the specific construction orembodiment shown in the drawings. v

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A self-primingpumping apparatus comprising in combination an engine;a rotor ofa centrifugal pump unit driven by said engine and embodying acasting providing primary and secondary impellers working one behind theother against the back of an enclosing casing; a suction intakeconnection with said casing; a valve-controlledtangential dischargetherefor; a chamber communicating with the back of the casing and havinga float-actuated valve admitting air thereto, a suction-pump driven fromsaid rotor and connecting with said chamber for exhaustin air therefromand from the pump casing an its intake connection; and a discharge forsaid suction pump.

2. An automatic self-priming liquid pumping apparatus comprising incombination a power plant; a rotor of a centrifugal pump unit driventhereby and embodying co-operable primary and secondary impellersworking one behind the other against the same wall of the enclosingcasing; a suction mtake connection with said casing; a valvecontrolledtangential discharge therefor; a chamber communicating with said casingby a pipe opening thereinto behind the secondary impeller; afloat-actuated valve admitting air to said chamber upon rise of liquidthereinto above a predetermined level; and a suction-pump driven also bysaid plant and connecting with said chamber for therethrough creating asiphonic action drawing liquid thereinto after first filling the rotorcasing, the siphonic action being alternately broken and restored byoperation of the aforesaid valve with rise and fall of liquid in saidchamber above the predetermined level.

3. In a centrifugal pump apparatus, means for keeping the pump primedfor continuous discharge operation comprising in combination, a chamberhaving communication with the pump casing from behind the rotor elementfor receiving a portion of the priming intake therefrom; a valve in sa dchamber admitting air thereto by operation with rise of a float above apredetermined level, and a driven suction-pump connected with saidchamber for therethrough creating a siphonic action drawing liquidthereinto after first filling the rotor casing, its siphonic actionbeing continuously broken and restored by operation of said valve withrise and fall of liquid in the chamber above the predetermined level.

4. In combination with a portable centrifugal pump with driving means,means for automatically priming and keeping the pump charged foroperative discharge, said means comprising a chamber-above the level ofthe pump-rotor shaft and having a single conduit connection with thepump casing behind its rotor element; a valve in said chamber admittingair thereto by operation with rise of a float above a predeterminedlevel, and a driven suction-pump connected with said chamber fortherethrough creating a siphonic action drawing liquid thereinto afterfirst filling the pump rotor casing, its siphonic action beingcontinuously broken and restored by operation of said valve with riseand fall of liquid in the chamber above the predetermined level.

5. An automatic self-priming liquid pumping apparatus comprising incombination,

an engine; a centrifugal pump unit embodying a rotor member with rotorcasing having member; an air-admission valve in said chamber operated bya float rising and falling with liquid above a predetermined leveltherein and an auxiliary suction-pump connected with said chamber fortherethrough creating a strong siphonic action drawing liquid thereintoafter first filling the rotor casing, the siphonic action of the lastnamed pump being continuously broken and restored by operation of saidvalve with rise and fall of liquid in the chamber through said conduitabove the predetermined level.

6. In combination with a centrifugal pump embodying a rotor casing and arotor element, means operating to automatically prime and maintain thesame charged for continuous operation; said means comprising anassociated suction-pump communicating therewith through the medium of achamber open to the rotor casing at a point behind said rotor element soas to therefrom receive a portion of the fluid drawn into the casing andhaving a float-actuated valve therein continuously operable to break thesiphonic action of the suction-pump upon intake of a predeterminedamount of the fluid from the rotor casing and to restore said actionupon return flowage of such fluid to said casing.

7. A pumping apparatus comprising in combination, a power plant; acentrifugal pump unit embodying a rotor casing and driven rotor element;a suction-pump driven with the rotor element and communicating with saidcasing by a pipe line opening therentobehind the rotor element, and achamber disposed in said pipe line and having a float thereincontinuously operable with rise and fall of fluid intake to open andclose an airadmission valve for alternately breaking and restoringsiphonic action of the suction-pump drawing fluid thereinto from thepump casing first filled or primed thereby.

8. An apparatus according to the preceding claim 7, wherein the rotorelement comprises a member formed to provide co-axial co-operable'impellers partitioned apart but having their blades working against thesame wall of the enclosing casing.

9. An automatically self-priming liquidpump apparatus, comprising incombination, a driving plant; a rotor of a centrifugal pump unit drivenby said plant and embodying coaxial primary and secondary impellersworking cooperably one behind the-other against the back wall of theenclosing casing; a suction intake connection with said casing; avalve-controlled tangential discharge therefor; a chamber communicatingwith said casing by a pipe openin at its back wall close to the rotoraxis an therethrough receiving a portion ofthe priming liquid drawn intothe casing; a float-actuated valve admitting air to sald chamber u onrise of liquid therein to a predetermined evel; a suction pump drivenalso by said plant and connected with said chamber for exhausting airtherefrom and from the pump casing and its intake connection to create asiphonic action therethrough; and a discharge for said suction pump.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ARTHUR C. SAXE. HOMER A. SMITH.

